NBC Sports Group Inaugural Coverage of The 145TH Open Kicks off at 1:30 am ET / 10:30 p.m. PT TONIGHT on Golf Channel

Golf Channel and NBC to Air Nearly 50 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage of The Open Thursday-Sunday From First Tee Shot to Final Putt

Cabrera, DeLaet, Mahan Lead Field at the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship in Alabama

2016 LPGA Major Champions Ko, Henderson and Lang Headline Field at the Marathon Classic in Ohio

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 13, 2016) – The dramatic setting of Royal Troon Golf Club provides the backdrop for NBC Sports Group’s inaugural coverage of The 145TH Open, with nearly 50 hours of live tournament coverage on Golf Channel and NBC. Live coverage begins with the first tee shot TONIGHT at 1:30 a.m. ET (10:30 p.m. PT) on Golf Channel and continues until the final putt drops on NBC on Sunday. The PGA TOUR returns to Alabama this week for the Barbasol Classic, where Angel Cabrera, Graham DeLaet and Hunter Mahan lead the field. On the LPGA Tour, the three LPGA major champions in 2016 – Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Brittany Lang – headline the field in Ohio for the Marathon Classic. The field also includes 2016 NCAA Women’s Individual National Champion Virginia Elena Carta (Duke) and Ying Luo from the team national champions Washington Huskies.

Broadcast Notes:Nearly 50 hours of live tournament coverage: Golf Channel and NBC will devote nearly 50 hours of tournament coverage to The 145TH Open Thursday-Sunday, including 14.5 hours on Golf Channel over each of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, 10.5 hours across Golf Channel and NBC on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday.DirecTV Mosaic of The Open: From Thursday through Sunday, NBC Sports has partnered with DirecTV to provide its signature mosaic offering for The Open, including four separate productions providing fans with unique and compelling exclusive content. Viewers will be able to watch each channel individually or tune into all four simultaneously.

Live TV – Simulcast of Golf Channel’s and NBC’s live tournament coverage Thursday-Sunday.

First Tee – Live coverage of the first tee for every group Thursday-Sunday. Once all golfers are on the course, coverage will transition to an original studio show featuring contributions from Golf Channel anchors, reporters and analysts providing highlights and discussion about the latest storylines.

Marquee Group – Live coverage of featured groups from both the early and late waves of competitors on Thursday and Friday, and key groups over the weekend.

Featured Holes – Live coverage of holes 6, 7 and one of the most famous holes in golf, the 123-yard par-3 8th hole, better known as “The Postage Stamp.”

NBC to Air Third and Final Round Highlight Specials: On Saturday and Sunday from 4-6 p.m. ET, NBC will air highlight specials recapping the third and final rounds of action.Special “Midnight Drive” Prepares Viewers for The Start of The Open Tonight: Tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will air a first-ever “late night” special edition of Morning Drive leading into live coverage at 1:30 am ET.Golf Central Live From The Open Wraparound Coverage: Golf Central Live From The Open is providing comprehensive news coverage this week of The Open live from Royal Troon.Johnson defends: Zach Johnson finished at -15 and defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole aggregate playoff to capture his first Open win.The field: The field features 91 of the top-100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, representing 24 different countries.

Broadcast Notes:2016 LPGA major champions headline field: Lydia Ko (ANA Inspiration), Brooke Henderson (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) and Brittany Lang (U.S. Women’s Open) headline the field this week at the Marathon ClassicNCAA Champions in the field: 2016 NCAA Women’s golf individual national champion Virginia Elena Carta (Duke) and Ying Luo, member of the team national champions Washington Huskies, are entered in the field this week on sponsor’s exemptions as a result of their achievements at the 2016 NCAA Women’s Golf National Championships.Choi defends: Chella Choi defeated Ha Na Jang with a par on the first playoff hole for her first career win in 2015.